Apparatus for producing hollow quartz bodies.



A. VOELKER & N. MEURBR.

APPARATUS FOB. PRODUOING HOLLOW QUARTZ BODIES.

APPLICATION HLBD SEPT. 14, 1911.

1,068,71 6. A Patent-ea July 29, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

, 1/ n, f 1/ l, /x/

A. VOELKER & N. MEURER'. APPARATUS FOR PBODUGING HOLLOWQUARTZ BODIES. APPLICATION FILED SEPQl. 14, 1911.

1,068,711 6. Patented July 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wi Z22 556,54' j nrejz Zar/s.-

l nfl-newm- A. VOELKER & N. MEURBR.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUING HOLLOW QUARTZ BODIES.

APPLICATION PILBD SEPT. 14, 1911.

1,068,716. Patented July 29, 1913. 4

4 SHEETS- SHEET 3.

4% Jefjz 1025;?

M( W4 www QMMLQNW A. VOELKER & N. MEURER.

APPARATUS POR PRODUOING HOLLOW QUARTZ BODIES.

APPLIGATION FILED SBPT.14, 1911.

1,068,71 6. v Paten-ted July 29, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4 UNITED sra-TES vP EfiENT oEEIoE.

' Y, i AUGUST voELKEE, or BEUEL, NEAR BONN, AND NIKoLAUs MEURER, or 'COLOGNE .GERMANr APPARATUS FOR PRODCING'HOLIULW QUARTZ BODIES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

epplication'led September 14, 1911. Serial No. 649,325.

To all 'whom t may concern:

.Be it known thatI we, AUGUST VOELKER- and NIKoLAUs MEURER, patent attorney, subjects of the German Emperor, and residing, respectively, at 77 l Siegburgerstrasse, Beuel, near Bonn, and 89/91 Hohestrasse, Cologneon-the- Rhine, Rhineland, Kingdom of Prussia, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in an Apparatus for Producing Hollow Quartz Bodies, of which the following is a specification.

For fusing quartz by means of the electrical resistance -heat generally the method is employed, which consists in giving the quartz body, having a dough like consistency and a cylindrical or fusiform shape, being formed around a carbon core the desired further shape bymeans of inflation with high pressure gases or vapors either immediately in the fusing chamber or,in the open air after it has been removed ,from the fusing chamber. In the former instance the intiating medium, for instance compressed air, is introduced into the quartz -body through the carbon core, which has been accordingly prepared, say perforated so that the quartzd body will after inflation -still contain the core, whereas when the quartz is formed in the open air, that is Outside. of the fusing furnace, itis necessary to previously remove the core and then close the open ends of the quartz body by means of tongs or inflation nozzles for the inating medium. The present invention belongs to the former, decidedly. preferable method of forming the quartz bodies. The removing of the quartz body from the fusing chamber will namely entail, besides the great decrease inthe outer plasticity of the quartz body in consequence of the drop of the temperatureV in the open air, particularly if the quartz body is of a small volume only, above all the disadvantagathat this is an operation both difficult and easily leading to rthede.- formations and' which can' onlyl be executed 'by skilled workers, and requires much strength, insensitiven'ess against great radiating heat and quickness, all abilities,

.which are required to a considerably lesser degree hen the quartz body is left inthe s fusing c amber and is formed there.

The novel-and characteristic feature ofl the present method consists in that the quartz body fused around a preferably vertical heating core is, contrary to the methods table hitherto proposed, not protected against an unintended deformation of its cylindrical or fusiform shape, by the heating core being left in it after the uartz Sand surrounding and supporting it as been removed, and it is thus supported by. the-core and the infiat-ing medium is introduced through the hollow perforated core, but that after completion of the fusing process, with vertically disposed core at least one end, with horizontally disposed core both ends of the quartz body are seized in such a manner,

that it must retain its position and its shape l in the fusing chamber, whereupon the core is withdrawn, the loose sand surrounding the quartz body is removed by suitable means and then the iniiating medium is introduced into the interior of the quartz body in known manner and while the ends of said body are simultaneously closed.

Several constructio'nal forms of apparatus4 for carrying out the hereinbefore described method are exemplified in Figs. 1-6 of the accompanying drawings.

The first constructional' form, Fig. l,

wshows the arrangement of a mold 1 consisting of several sections between two cuttingoff' devices 2 and 3 respectively on which follow insulating plates 4, 5 and the electrode plates 6, 7, which are encircledby the connection shoes, 8, 9 of the cables 10, 11 re-V spectively and hold the heating core 12. ,13 is an auxiliary cylinder yfitted into the mold 1, terminating at the insulating plates 4, 5 and serving to receive the charge 14 to be fused. n i

The constructional vform according-.to Fig.

Patentedju1y2a1913.

2 shows the arrangement in a horizontal furnace, which .rests on brick piers 15,' 16 and can be moved by means of a cable 19 running over sheaves 17, 18, around a. hinge 20, so that it can be moved from its horizontal position into'a vertical one.

According,y to Fig. -3 the arrangement,l

shown in Fig. 1 is fitted to a pillar 22 with aid .og a vertically adjustable supporting 1, which pillar carries onits upper parta likewise vertically adjustable arm 23 with a'pulley 24, overwhich runs the cable 25 of a tongs 26 which `seizes the end of the heating core .12 projecting from the electrode'plate 6, and serves to withdraw the same from the fused quartzbody- 27 4after the fusing process has been completed. The lower electrode 7 is provided with passages The arrangement according to Fig. 4,

which iszthe same as the arrangement according to Fig. 3 may be used for making quartz bodies of different sizes, has a similar hoisting gear 24, 25, 26 for vthe heating core 12, but differs from the said arrangerent through parts ment by that the lower electrode 7 issupported by a plate A3.2, the cutting device 3 above said electrode. being guided on pillarsI` 22,v the said plate 32 being pressed tightly,

' against the electrode 7 by means of a hand wheel 33 operatinga rack34.

The operation is as follows: When in eon-- sequence'of the passage of the electric cur- 8, 6, 12, 7,' 9 the quartz body formed\ around the core 12 has'reached a su'liicient thickness, the current is switched ,off and the core 12 is withdrawn from the quartz body either manually or according to Figs. 3 and 4 bymeans of thehoisting Thereupon the upper elec-V gear 24-26. trede 6.is removed, soI that the entireopening of the mold 1 or of the auxiliary cylinder 13 respectively is bared. The latter is now, while being simultaneously revolved around its axis drawn, according to Figs. 1 and 3 upward Iout o f mold 1 and thereupon the two halves of the upper cutting device 2 are approached to each other by aid of the means provided for this purpose, hand wheels or the like, so that they will seize and hold 4the upper end of the quartz body 27 projecting into their range of travel.

Now the lower electrode 7 is renioved (ae-y cording toF'ig. 4), so that the quartz body will hang freely suspended from the upper cutting device 2 into the mold 1 after the not fused sand has been removed Now the halves of the lower cutting device 3 are ap? preached to-each other so far, that they seize the lower end of the quartz body 27 .and hold it inthe same manner as above. Nowthe quartz body 27 is inflated by the introduction of the inilating medium and immediately after the two ends'ofthe quartz body have been simultaneously closedvby the approaching of the two halvjes of the two cutting devices,l the quartz body will in consequence of -such- `inflation 'lie close against the inside of the mold ,1, whereupon the mold together with the quartz body inI -it is taken 'downf and the latter may be' removed by.opening the -two halves of the mold. t The inflating medium mentioned above may be compressed air or gases under high` pressure. When compressed air is used, a

tube is' employed, one end of which is introduced intov the upper end of the plastic body-- after the'withdrawal of the core 12 and prior to the operation of ther upper cutting device, whereupon the latter is operated for closingI the upper end of the plastic body, soA that the tongs press the quartz againstthe outside of the tube. Thereby the interior of the plastic body is hermetically closed, so that on the admission of the compressed air through the tube this medium can blow out the quartz body. I'When' gases under pressure "are to be used, a foreignv l body (for example a potato) capable of being lwholly or partially gasified by the extreme heat of the quartz (about 2200o centigrade) is introduced into the cavity of the plastic body, immediately after which the cutting device isoperated, as describedin one pending application filedv by our Dr; August Voelker, Serial No'. 512,693 of Au? gust 13, 1909.

For facilitating the loosening of the not fused caked sand surrounding the quartz body it is advisable to provide projections, preferably prongs, vnails and the like on the inside ofthe auxiliary cylinder.

A constructional form showing this feature isl shown in Figs. 5-6 of the accompanying drawing.4 On pillars or standards 38 joined by plates 35 and 36, and provided with screw threads 37 at suitable sections of their whole length cross beams or plates 40` are arranged, vertically adjustable by `means of nuts 39between which `beams 40 the mold 1 forming the outerwall of the' fusing chamber, consist-ing of two'several sections and open at top and bottom, is clamped. The mold serves in thepresent instance .for making a socket pipe and consists of two sectionshinged together at 41 and locked-together in an easily detachable manner at 42, 43 by means of a. wedge, drop bolt, slide or the like.

parteach filled by one electrode head, which consists of a cent-rally bored carbon block cated cone andsurrounded by an annular lining 44 of fire clay or quart-z, which is fit'- ted into a metallic socket 45 and extends upward in form of a tubular -extension 46.

The fire clay ring 44 serving to insulate the The lower and top A Aopenings of the mold lare to the greater iis cylindrical shape; this `vessel 13 reaches' above close up tothe` upper fire clay ring 44 and is provided on its inside with numerous projections, preferably prongs, nail 47 and.

the like. The vessel 13 thus separates the ^heating core 12 from the inner wall of the 'mold 1 and serves to receive the quartz sand and thus as envelop for the fusiform vquartz body 27 to be fused of the quartz sand. `The tubular extensions 46 are provided'with fef ise- 110 6, 7 -having preferably the shape of a trunmale threads arid engage therewith on corresponding threaded bolts or pillars 48, so that, when the metallic caps '45 encircling the electrodes 6, 7 or the fire clay rings 44 are turned bysuitable means, for instance hand wheels 49V or the like, the tubular -eX- tensions 46 may move in a vertical direction cn the pillars 48. A turning of the feeder.

cable may be avoided by the connection slices 50 or the cables being made in form of rings or similar to collector brushes, sliding on the metallic caps 45 conductivelyencircling the electrodes 6, 7.

The mold lgdoes not rest directly on the plate 4 0 but on Va plate like cutting device 3 slightly projecting beyond the opening in plate 40. This cutting device may be constructed in known manner and consist of two plates, arranged in the same horizontal level,'which have each a V-shaped recess on their inner edge, the inner edge being at the same time tapered. If these plates are moved toward each other the ^Vshaped recesse-s will seize the body between them and construct it at four points and tend to shear off at their further advance.

The operation is the following: WV hen in n consequence ofthe passage of the electric current through parts 50, 45, 6, 12,l 7 the quartz body formed around the core has reached a sutlicientthickness, the current isswitchcd olf and the core 12 is withdrawn by means of the hoisting gear 25,24 from the quartz body. Then ,the upper electrode.

6 is screwed up so that the whole upper opening of the mold 1 or of the vessel 13 is laid open. By actuating the means provided for the upper cutting device 2 the halves of this cutting device are approached l to each-other so far,'that they will seize and hold the upper end of the quartz body pro! jecting'into their range of travel. Now the lower electrode 7 together with the vessel 113 supported by tlie'respective lire clay ring 44 is screwed down. Thereby the projections 47 of the vessel 13 will loosen the sand surrounding the quartz body and caked by f the heat radiated by said body 27, which sand will fall over the hood 52 into containers suitably provided (not shown) so that 'the quartz body held by the upper cutting device will after the removal of the sand hang freely in the moldI 1 cleared by the vessel 13 having been lowered, whereupon the' lower cutting device is closed and the quartz body 27 is inflated in the mannerv hereinbefore described with reference4 to Figs. 1 4.

We claim: I 1. In an apparatus of the class described,

the combination with a mold, of twoy center- 'ing' gripping devices adapted to close the ends ofsaid mold, two electrodes adapted to be connected with said tw'o centering gripping devices, an electric resistance core in the axis of said mold adapted to pass through the upper electrode and to engage ina recess of the lower electrode, a-jacket within said mold leaving an annular space between it and the resistance core adapted to contain the raw material, means for insulating said -j a'cket from 'said two electrodes. and means for passing an electric current throughl said two electrodes and said resistance core.

2. In an apparatus of the class described,

the combination with a mold, of two centering gripping devices adapted to close the ends of said mold, two electrodes adapted to be connected with said two centering gripping devices, anv electric resistance core in the axis of said mold adapted to pass through one electrode and to engage in a relcess in the other electrode, a jacket within said mold leaving an annular space between it and the resistance core adapted to contain the raw material, means for insulating said jacket from said two electrodes, means for passing an electric current through said t-Wo electrodes and said resistance core, and means for turning said mold from the horizontal posit-ion, iny which the fusion is ef- 

